Waterfalls
by Lightfrost
Summary: Cover art by Streamwhisker on DeviantART. Follow Flare as she finds the Tribe of Rushing Water, creates new friendships, and discovers the secrets of the Tribe's past. Rated T just in case (the average violence in Warriors).
1. Chapter 1

An amber-colored tabby she-cat, her fur blazing with the golden light of the sun, climbed the steep slope of the lush green hills. She twitched her whiskers as she saw a rabbit nearby, blissfully unaware of the cat's presence.

The she-cat slowly crept up on the creature, making sure each step was silent and precise. Staring straight ahead, it seemed that nothing would distract her from her prey - until the faint cry of an eagle was heard overhead.

At this, the ginger tabby darted into the shadow of a bush, waiting for the large bird to come swooping down upon the rabbit. Sure enough, the beating of large wings could be heard as the eagle snatched up its prey and soared back up into the air.

When the bird was no longer in sight, the she-cat emerged into the open air again. _Figures,_ she thought, annoyed. _Those eagles from the mountains keep stealing my prey. Why can't those mouse-brained things just stay where they belong?_

She remembered her mother, Sun in Cloudy Sky, telling stories about the cats that lived in those bleak stone mountains.

"They are a Tribe, who have a camp behind a great, roaring waterfall. It glimmers in the sunlight and glows silver at night. They coat their pelts with mud to blend in with the rocks, and hunt eagles instead of hiding from them."

"Wow! Why can't I do that, too?" she had asked at the time.

"Because, Flare," Sun in Cloudy Sky had replied. "That place is dangerous." Her tone had been sad and guarded, as though she knew more than she was telling. Flare had never questioned how her mother knew about these strange cats, though she thought she must have encountered them once.

Flare exited her memories and shook her head. _No. That isn't important right now,_ she told herself._ I have to look for prey._

No more eagles interrupted her as she continued hunting. A few moments later, she had caught a fat squirrel near the roots of a tree. Satisfied, she sat down to eat it.

She was just about to take the first bite of her prey when a flash of gray fur darted near the corner of her vision.


	2. Chapter 2

Flare immediately looked up, her fur on end. Hardly any cats came across the part of the hills she called home.

Her paws silent on the soft grass, Flare crept to the place she had seen the gray shape. She could no longer see the cat, but picked up its scent easily. The smell was strange - the only things she had encountered that even smelled slightly like it were the eagles. _Who could this possibly be..._

Flare felt tense, and a growing amount of fear built up inside her as she continued to follow the scent trail. After what seemed like a moon, she heard a she-cat's voice. "Stupid squirrels... stop climbing up trees!"

Despite her uneasiness, Flare had to suppress a _mrrow_ of laughter at that. _She must not be used to hunting the prey here!_

Looking out from behind a small tree, the cat who had spoken came in to view. Her pelt was not a solid gray, as Flare had first thought - she had slightly darker stripes and white paws. The cat had a small, lean build, quite like her own.

Flare contemplated whether or not she should step out from where she was watching. This cat didn't seem to be a threat, and Flare's shoulders had visibly relaxed. After a few moments, she decided to show herself.

As she approached, the other cat heard her. She whipped around, her fur bristling. _She must be just as surprised as to see me as I was to see her, _Flare thought, somewhat relieved.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Although Flare didn't mean to sound menacing, her tone of voice wasn't friendly, either.

"Why don't you tell me?" the gray tabby she-cat replied, the boldness in her words hardly concealing her unease.

"Because, this is where I live, and I'd like to know why you're here," Flare stated evenly.

The other cat's fur lay flat again, but her ice-blue eyes still betrayed her wariness. "Fair enough. My name is Gleam Of Frozen River, and I have come on a quest to find a cat named Sun In Cloudy Sky."


End file.
